Theater of War: Soldiers and Citizens Tour

The Theater of War: Soldiers & Citizens Tour presents dramatic readings of Sophocles’ Ajax — an ancient Greek tragedy about the suicide of a great, respected warrior — to diverse military and civilian audiences to engage communities in powerful town hall discussions about the visible and invisible wounds of war. The presentations are intended to foster understanding and compassion, while mobilizing citizens and resources to help improve the lives of service members, veterans, their families, and people in their communities. They also provide a list of national resources at each performance.

Outside the Wire, and its partners Massachusetts General Hospital Academy, National Council for Behavioral Health, and Points of Light, are the recent recipients of a generous two-year grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation to present the Theater of War: Soldiers & Citizens Tour to National Guard and Reserve units and their communities across the United States, and continue community engagement using a mobile app and Google Hangouts On Air.

Each performance is approximately 90 minutes long. The reading from the play is followed by discussion with panelists from the local civilian and military communities, and a facilitated town-hall style audience discussion.

Submit Your Resources and Stories for the Theater of War Mobile App: Make your organization’s resources more accessible to service members, veterans and their families, and help each service member overcome the hidden wounds of war through sharing stories of their struggles and resiliency.

UPComing Performances

There are no upcoming performances at this time.

Actors

Professional actors perform the theatrical reading for each Theater of War performance. The actors for each performance are listed on the particular event’s Cast Flyer. The following are examples of professional actors who have participated in Theater of War:

David Strathairn

Credits include:
The Bourne Ultimatum
Good Night, and Good Luck
Lincoln

Points of Light (POL) connects people to their power to make a meaningful difference by providing access to tools, resources, and opportunities to volunteer. POL’s military initiatives create and implement programs that engage and support service members, veterans, and their families. The Community Blueprint is a set of tools and practices that provide a framework for communities to produce positive, measurable outcomes for veterans, military members, and their families.

Points of Light Resources:

Points of Light Community Blueprint
The Community Blueprint is a set of tools and practices that
provide a framework for communities to produce positive,
measurable outcomes for veterans, military members, and
their families.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

America’s Heroes at Work
A Dept. of Labor project that addresses employment
challenges of veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury and/or
PTSD.Army OneSource
Provides training and information to spouses and family
members.Blue Star Families
BSF supports, connects, and empowers military families by
connecting them to support and service organizations that
strive to make military life more sustainable. bluestarfam.org/
Department of Veterans Affairs and Vet Centers
Provides a range of health-care benefits and services to
veterans. www.va.govEmployer Support of the Guard and Reserve
Develops and promotes employer support for members of the
Guard and Reserve.Give An Hour
A nonprofit organization providing free mental health
services to US military personnel and families affected by
the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.Helmets to Hardhats
Helmets to Hardhats connects men and women from the
Armed Forces with promising building and construction
careers.Hire Heroes USA
Provides career placement assistance to returning
veterans.Hirepurpose
Developed by veterans for veterans to assist in the
transition from military service to civilian careers.Hiring Our Heroes
A nationwide initiative to help veterans, transitioning
service members, and military spouses find meaningful
employment.
or plus.google.com/+HiringourheroesOrg/postsJoining Forces
A national initiative founded by First Lady Michelle Obama
and Dr. Jill Biden, that engages all sectors of society to
provide service members and their families with
opportunities and support.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES (continued):

Military Child Education Coalition
MCEC identifies the challenges facing military children, and
initiates and implements programs in military and
educational communities to meet those challenges.Military OneSource
A confidential Department of Defense-funded program
providing comprehensive information on every aspect of
military life at no cost to active duty, Guard and Reserve
component members, and their families.

The Soldier’s Project
Free, confidential psychological counseling for military service
members and their families.Student Veterans Association
A nonprofit organization that connects student veterans across
the country.Syracuse University Institute For Veterans and Military Families
The IVMF leverages the intellectual, programmatic and human
capital resources of higher education in support of the postservice
life course of the nation’s veterans and military
families.Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
TAPS provides peer-based emotional support, grief and trauma
resources, casework assistance and connections to communitybased
care to those grieving the death of a loved one in military service to America.United Service Organizations (USO)
Supports the military community by providing morale, welfare,
and recreations-type services to military service men and
women, and their families.U.S. Dept. of Defense Sexual Assault & Prevention
Develops and Implements innovative prevention and response
programs.Unite US
Unite US connects veterans, servicemembers, and their families
with resources in their local communities.Vets 4 Vets
Uses peer support to help Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans heal
from psychological injuries.VetNet
Transitioning from military to civilian life presents
unique challenges. To make things easier and provide structure,
a few of the leading organizations in veteran career
development have combined forces to create one, easy place to
start.VetsPrevail
Vets Prevail provides online mental health resources including
with e-learning opportunities and peer support for veterans.

Wounded Warriors
WWP provides programs and services to meet the needs of
injured service members.Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program
Provides information, services, referral, and proactive
outreach programs to soldiers of the Army Reserve and their
families throughout the deployment cycle.

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